Washing machine



March 1940- F. KELLERMANN WASHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20,- 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 24a INVENTOR.

FiZ/X AflffMfl/VN, BY Liza/m HORNEY.

March 5, 1940. F. KELLERMANN WASHING. MACHINE Filed Aug. 20. 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. f'ZZ/X A fzzw/vfl/vm, BY 75mm 7 ATTORNEY.

March 5, 1940. F, KELLERMANN 2,192,316

WASHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Fez/x KAYZF/FM /v/v,

Patented Mar. 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE wssnma momma This invention relates to home washing emchines.

Considering the background and embodiment of the invention, the equipment considered herein may be contrasted with the conventional household washing machine which is a unit movable on casters, in general comprising a leg supported tub or vessel or chamber through and from the bottom of which rises the oscillating agitator shaft driven from motor actuated gearing underneath the tub. A non-stationary unit requires bothersome connections, such as a loose cable connection for the motor, hose connections for water supply and drainage, and it requires an additional pump to elevate the draining liquid to the level oi'an available sink to gain discharge by way oi the house plumbing. and this again necessiutlaktes moving the machine about and near to a s A washing machine installed invention will eliminate potential dripping, leakage, spilling, and'other inconveniences attendant to the manipulation, operation, function and upkeep of the aforementioned connections required in the movable standard unit. Such adaptation to an existing fixture also avoids potential danger or injury to the operators toes every time that the relatively heavy movable unit is to be rolled into the place where the abovementioned connections must be made or the machine be used. Still another thing to be avoided by convertinga standard movable washing machine into a fixture is the phenomena that vibrations, undesirable of themselves, are liable tocause a movable machine especially when filled with water and wash, to shift bodily from its place of operation as a result itsown vibratory impulses, this phenomena being aggravated by any slight slope found to exist in the floors.

,When unattended, the unit thus filled and loaded may gather momentum sufllcient to result in harmful collision or injury to children or the like. I

The invention therefore according to one broad aspect envisions the arrangement of a washing machine as a normally immovable fixture in direct operative relation to or connection with the water supplyand drain system of the home.

Consequently one object is to do away with the above set forth shortcomings of the standard movable washing machine.

Other objects are to improve the construction perse of a type of washing machine, unit which includes a wash tub having a drain outlet and an .agitator shaft rising through and from the sccordinstotmstub bottom at a point spaced from said drain outlet and driven irom mechanism underneath the tub; to improve the machine with respect to structural interrelation of its parts or component sections; to improve and simplify its man- I ner of assembly; and otherwise to produce an em- 'cient machine which operates noiselessly or with a minimum of vibration.

These ends are attained by equipping, conditioning or designing a washing machine or unit for stationary use and for direct operative connection to the drain system ot-the horn and with respect to convenient operative relation to or direct operative connection with water supply outlets of the plumbing system in the home; turif ther by improving the unit itself with respect to structural unification or consolidation of its component sections or parts, and again by improving design, layout and arrangement of such component sections in themselves.

some of the features lie in an unique structural combination of the tub with the agitator drive mechanism, more particularly in a certain self-sustained mounting of a drive mechanism and motor unit, and in certain other design ieai8 .tures in the drive mechanism. among which are compactness, structural stability, and detail improvements in the gearing oi the mechanisms.

In a preferred embodiment the agitator drive mechanism and its motor are supported by and all from the bottom of the tub. More particularly, a unitary assembly of drive mechanism and motor is supported from the tub bottom with which it is directly connected or in which it is anchored.

In a specific construction an anchoring member as surrounding the agitator 'shait holds the drive unit in place from within the tub. In a specific sense, a lock nut from within the tub holds the drive unit firmly anchored. In a preferred embodiment the nut engages uponanupwardly extending neck portion of the gear casing.

Furthermore partioularized, an encased drive mechanism and motor unit is designed compactly around or snugly aboutthe axis of the agitator shaft, and with certain abutment or hearing faces arranged between the drive unit and the underside of the tub, and otherwise, the molmted position of the mechanism is stabilized, and designed with a minimum of overhang.

The invention possesses other objects and fee.-

tures of advantage, some of which -with the foregoing will be set forth in the following description. In the following description and in the. claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as the art will permit. In the accompanying though it may have other or additional supportdrawings there has been illustrated the best embodiment of the invention known to me, but

such embodiment is to be regarded as typical only of many possible embodiments, and the invention is not to be limited thereto.

The novel features considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended. claims. The invention itself,

however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the'following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic side view of the equipment installed;

Pig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the encased mechanism of Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view with parts broken away and showing annular bearing face;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan viewof a mechanism similar to mg. 3, with the addition of branch drive mechanism for accessory devices;

Fig. 6 is a detail side view of branch drive mechanism as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 1 shows the equipment according to this invention as an installed or set unit in which the numeral it indicates that section which constitutes the wash tub, collectively indicates the drive mechanism mounted in self-supporting fashion with respect to the tub. This mechanism is shown to include the gear casing l2 fromwhich extends a gear shift lever I3, an agitator arbor l4, and a retaining nut 43. The tub I3 is indicated to be set in the wall |3,'al-

' ing means, legs, or supporting framework. or the like. A drain connection including a suitable union or nipple is indicated at H, and water supply faucets at It, both constituting connections with the house plumbing. The tub may be of any suitable material, and it may be of porcelain, or metal, or other suitable material. An agitator member |8a (see Fig. 1)is shown to be placed upon the agitator arbor 4.

According to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the details of the drive gear mechanism comprise a gear casing l5, consisting of a body portion 25 and a cover 2| therefor. Lugs 22 on the inside of the body portion and screw bolts ,23 indicate the manner of securing the cover 2| in place.-

The drive gear mechanism proper comprises a .vertical oscillatable agitator shaft 24 shown to rest in a socket 24a upon the bottom of the casing and mounted in ball bearings 25 and 25. The agitator shaft has a square lower portion 25a upon which is slidable a pinion 21 which can be shifted into and out of operative driving engagement by means of a yoke 23 and a shift lever 29. An oscillatable gear sector 3| is pivotally mounted at 32in the bottom 01' the casing and meshes in driving engagement with the pinion 21 when the latter is in operative shift position. The gear sector 3| is actuated from a rotating worm gear 33 through a connecting rod 34. The worm gear '33 is pivotally mounted at,

35 in the bottom of the casing and driven by a motordriven worm 35a, electromotlvating means or a motor being indicated at 36 and shown to be structurally united with the drive gear mechanism by way of its being mounted within the gear casing. Oil connections for the motor into a cylindrical upwardly extending portion orneck 45 of the casing cover and shown to be secured thereon by a lock nut 45a and so as to make a water tight joint between the tubular member 43 and the neck portion 45 of the casing cover.

The neck 45 is provided with an exterior thread.

over which fits a lock nut 43 which serves as a retaining or anchoring member for the entire agitator drive mechanism with respect to the tub. The lock nut 46 firmly anchors the drive unit to the tub and is shown to have a discshaped portion 41 for greater stability of mount- An annular upper gasket element or spacer 48 (see Fig. 4) is interposed between the lock nut 45 and the bottom wall of the tub,- another similarannular element 43 being shown between the casing cover 2| and the tub, the annular element 43 being centered upon the casing cover by way of a shoulder 55. The lock nut 45 is shown to have a marginal shoulder portion 46a into which fits the gasket 48. Both annular elements 43 'and 49 are of liberal diameter and as large as the size of the casing will permit to stabilize the mounting thereof. 1

The agitator shaft terminates at the top in a square head 5| intended for the reception of an agitator element such as shown at |3a (in Fig. 1). A rising portionor agitator arbor 5|a within the tub includes the tubular member 43 (Fig. 4) and the agitator shaft 24 surrounded by it. Over this arbor 5| a usually fits the agitator element |8a proper, in the manner indicated in Fig. 1. g

The agitator drive mechanism shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is similar in its general design and operation to the one shown in the preceding Figs. 2, 3 and 4, except for the addition of readily adjustable branch drive mechanism to actuate auxiliary devices of which a wringer and an ironer are examples. Accordingly the'basic mechanism is substantially the same as described in the preceding figures. sociated parts however are shown in Fig. 6 comprising a gear sector 52 actuated from a worm wheel 53 through a connecting rod 54 formed with a lateral oifsetportion 55. A motor driven worm 56 indicates the drive for the-worm wheel 53, the worm wheel being mounted-upon an axle 53a. It is noted that the worm wheel 53 is relatively raised from the bottom of the casing.

Distinctive portions and as-.

the bottom of the casing. Accordingly there is shown a substantial mounting or bearing portlon 51 for the worm wheel axle 53a Journaled in the bottom of the casing.

Branch drive is realized through a pair. of spiral gears 53 and 59. Gear 53 being fixed on storm wheel axle 53a, while gear 53 is held in mesh with its companion gear by way of a swingable yoke 63 loosely mounted on worm wheel axle 53a. The last mentioned spiral gear 53 rotates a branch drive shaft 6| leading out of the gear casing through a horizontally extending slot 32 (see Fig. 5) in a desired adjustable direction, the possible range of radial adjustment bea,ioa,s1e

having an opening in the tub bottom for coning shown by are I in Hg. 4 corresponding to the length of the slot 01.

Whereas the operation of this machine or equipment will be clear from the foregoing description, attention is called'to the method of assembly of the agitator drive mechanism upon the tub. A partial assembly comprising the gear casing IS with its drive gear, motor and agitator arbor 5Ia will have placed upon it and fitted over the shoulder 50 of the casing cover, the annular spacer or gasket which may be of a resilient or semi-resilient suitable material.- This partial assembly is lifted to the tub from below as ,the agitator arbor comes to lodgelin the bottom opening ll of the tub tmtil the gasket portion or spacer 0 comes to lie against the underside of the tub bottom. At that time the lock nut 46 mounted with the gasket 40' will have been slipped over the agitator arbor and screwed down upon the neck portion 45 of the casing cover tight enough to secure a firm and watertight connection of the entire drive mechanism with the tub bottom. The agitator Ila proper may then be applied to the agitator arbor. In the operation of the machine in the embodiment herein shown, the torsional driving reactions of the forces imparting oscillation to the shaft 24 are ultimately absorbed entirely and directly by the bottom portion oi the tub.

The machine thus assembled is then connected up to the water supply and drain system of the house plumbing, and firmly set in any suitable manner, unless it is preferred to set the tub first and then to apply the mechanism in the simple manner described. Suitable drain outlet valve mechanism operable from the outside oi'the tub may be provided. Hot and cold water is supplied from the faucets I! quickly and conveniently and direct y to the tub, while drainage is eflected in a similar direct manner into the house drain by manipulating a drain valve mentioned above. There is no moving or shifting of parts or heavy machinery, the operation is quick, and the space requirements of this piece of equipment are the same as that of the ordinary set washtub usually installed in homes. By displacing such set tubs with equipment organized on the principle of this invention, a relative saving in space-is effected which is equivalent to the space of a standard movable washing machine.

A tub constructed according to this invention for direct water supplyand drain connections and with a special agitator hole such as theone shown at ll in Fig. 4 provided therein, may be furnished and installed per se, and subsequently the agitator drive unit such as herein described may be added to the tub and mounted by way of said agitator hole.

I claim:

1.1n a washing machine having a set tub spaced from the floor and provided with water supply plumbing and adapted to be filled with water to a suitable arbitrary level, said tub nection o! the tub with the drain plumbing and having a second opening in the tub bottom; power driven washing mechanism comprising an oscillation producing drive unit having a casing in which drive gearing operates and which is disposed underneath the bottom of the tub, said casing having an upwardly extending interiorly as well as exteriorly threaded neck portion, a motor unitary with said drive unit, a tubular portion extending from said casing through said second opening into the interior of the tub and adapted to be surrounded by water, although rising above said water level, said tubular portion being connected with said casing by way of the interior thread in said neck portion, vertical oscillatory shafting driven by said gearing and extending through and guided by said tubular portion; disconnectible securing means provided to be eiiective by way of said secondmentioned opening in the tub bottom, between the tub bottom and the gear-motor unit for thus supporting the gear-motor unit from the tub in effect solely through the medium of the tub bottom, said securing means comprising an annular member threadedto engage upon the exterior thread of said neck portion, and an agitator member attachable to the top portion of said shafting to oscillate therewith, said agitator member adapted to extend downwardly into the body of water surrounding said tubulaln portion.

2. Mechanism according to claim 1, in which annular bearing faces are effective between the tub bottom on the one hand, and said annular member and said casing on the other hand.

3. In a washing machine having a set tub body spaced from the floor and adapted to be filled with water, said tub having an opening in the tub bottom for connection of the tub with drain plumbing and having a second opening in the tub bottom, power driven washing mechanism comprising an oscillation producing drive unit having a casing in which driving elements operate and which is disposed underneath the bottom of the tub, electromotlvating means unitary with said drive unit, a neck portion extending from said easing into said opening, an oscillatory member driven by said'driving elements and disposed to be effective by way of said neck portion, disconnectible securing means provided to be eflective by way of said second-mentioned opening in the tub bottom between the tub bottom and the drive unit and designed thus to establish said unit in cooperative association with respect to the tub and supported in eil'ect solely through the medium of the tub body, means eflective between said oscillator member and said neck portion and adapted to prevent escape of water, and an agitator member operatively connected with said oscillatory member. 

